The Investigative Journalism category winner was Susan Venter from Rapport, winning the SA Story of the Year for Life Esidimeni. City Press’ Sipho Masondo won Journalist of the Year (category 17) and was also a finalist in the Investigative Journalism category for Watergate.

The Allan Kirkland Soga Lifetime Achiever Award went to Juby Mayet, and the Upcoming / Rising Star of the Year went to Botshilo Maake for A body of Work Graphics 24 for City Press.

The judging panel was headed by convener judge Mathatha Tsedu and includes Dinesh Balliah, Gus Silber, Henry Jeffreys, Mike Siluma, Tyrone August, Phil Mtimkulu, Pippa Green, Tim du Plessis, Latiefa Mobara, Thabo Leshilo, Mary Papayya, Ryland Fisher, and Neo Ntsoma.

The category winners are: 

Hard News – Frank Maponya and Sandile Ndlovu, School of horrors (Sowetan);
Columns/Editorial – Phillip de Wet, Winegum racism (Mail & Guardian);
Enterprise News – Laura Lopez Gonzalez, The big chill: Health posts freeze threatens services (Health-E News/Daily Maverick);
Feature Writing – Estelle Ellis, Shock closure of frail care centres and Toxic river Spill (The Herald);
Investigative Journalism – Suzanne Venter, Life Esidimeni (Rapport);
Editorial Cartoons – Brandan Eugene Reynolds, Body of work (Rapport and Business Day);
Graphic Journalism – Lebohang Elvin Nethononda, SOWETO uprising 1976 (The Star);
Popular Journalism – Stephen Molobi, Pastor Doom (Daily Sun);
News Photographs – Alon Skuy Cliff/Dali/Oscar (The Times);
Feature Photographs – Phandulwazi Jikelo, Blind and in despair amid hardship (Cape Times);
Sports Photographs – Alon Skuy, Caleb’s quest for the stage (The Times);
Presentation – Vuyo Singiswa and Sarah Buitenbach, FM covers 2016 (Financial Mail);
Multiplatform – Athandiwe Saba, Delwyn Verasamy, and Malcolm Sekgothe, Unitrans stall over vital back pay (Mail & Guardian); and
Multimedia – Le Roux Schoeman, Kan jy van snoek alleen oorleef (Netwerk24.com).

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